India witnessed a 22% surge in Covid cases this week compared to the previous one, marking the first time in seven months that the daily tally exceeded 800. Despite the relatively low overall numbers and a gradual increase, possibly due to limited testing and many cases being mild, data indicates a nationwide spread of the JN.1-driven surge. Kerala, initially reporting the highest counts, may have already peaked in infections.
In the week ending Saturday (December 24-30), India reported 4,652 new Covid cases, up from 3,818 in the previous seven days, accompanied by 29 deaths compared to 17 earlier. On Saturday, the daily tally reached 841, the highest since May 18, 2023, with three fatalities.
While Kerala sees a decline in cases, other states, notably Karnataka and Maharashtra, are experiencing a rise. These two, along with Kerala, are the only states where the daily case count has surpassed 100. Karnataka reported 922 new infections during the week, a three-fold increase from the previous seven days, while Maharashtra saw cases rise from 103 to 620. The number of states/UTs reporting Covid cases in the past week increased to 20, more than double the count on December 15, suggesting the JN.1 subvariant's spread across the country.